Joseph Thambiah Motha was an orthopaedic surgeon in West Suffolk Hospital, Bury St Edmunds. He was born in Trivandrum, Kerala, India on 13 January 1947, the sixth child and fifth son of Vincent Motha, a businessman, and Philomena Motha. His father died when he was just three months old and Motha was brought up by his widowed mother. He was educated at the Holy Angels Convent and then went on to St Joseph's School, Trivandrum. He left secondary school with first class honours and went on to do a pre-university year at the Intermediate College in Trivandrum. He subsequently studied medicine at Trivandrum Medical College. After qualifying in 1972 he worked for a short period in Kerala before going to Tanzania. He worked in Dar es Salaam for three years and then went to Kano in Nigeria, where he spent another three years. He then moved to the UK, where he trained to become an orthopaedic surgeon and held posts at Bronglais Hospital, Aberystwyth, Northampton General Hospital and King George Hospital, Ilford, London. In 1987 he began working at West Suffolk Hospital, Bury St Edmunds. Outside medicine, he enjoyed playing music. He was a self-taught guitarist and played in several bands, at medical school and latterly in Bury St Edmunds. He also enjoyed collecting antiques, DIY and gardening. In 1977 he married Shantha in Trivandrum. They had a daughter, Reeya, and a son, Rohit. Motha died on 26 September 2010, in London, aged 62.